science and democracy


Cartoon: Justin Bilicki

Four New (Old) Ways the White House is Trying to Restrict Science for Policymaking

, director, Center for Science & Democracy

April 25, 2019 12:29 PM EDT

Yesterday, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in the White House issued new “guidance” for the Administration to “Improve Implementation of the Information Quality Act”. Unfortunately, it reads like a re-hashing of some of the worst ideas for restricting the use of science in policymaking from the last five years or so. Way back in 2015, when some members of Congress were trying some of these same tricks to tip the scales in favor of regulated industry we summarized them in a Policy Forum article in Science. Here we go again—but this time, the Trump administration is trying to push these changes through unilaterally, the latest round in a long list of efforts to push science to the sidelines. Read more >

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Cartoon: Justin Bilicki

5 Tips for Working in the Trump Administration Like an Absolute Pro

, Energy analyst

December 17, 2018 9:34 AM EDT

Are you a new political appointee looking to join your administration peers in governing by deregulatory splash? Does the idea of winning the title of Best Worst Rule-Maker of Them All make you want to jump to the front to assume the mantle of dismantle? Would you be interested in throwing logic, scholarship, and ethics out the window in favor of the unbridled thrill of flying by the seat of no pants?

If yes, then read on, because the below five tips have been systematically shown to plummet Trump appointees from hero to zero in under one rulemaking flat.

Read more >

Justin Bilicki
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Photo: NCinDC/CC BY-ND 2.0 (Flickr)

DOI’s New Policy Restricts Science Under the Guise of Transparency

, researcher, Center for Science & Democracy

October 3, 2018 3:54 PM EDT

Last week, Interior Department Deputy Secretary David Bernhardt issued an order, “Promoting Open Science”, purportedly to increase transparency and public accessibility of the research used by the Department to make science-based decisions. This seems dubious coming from a person who spent much of his career lobbying for the oil and gas industry and who at his confirmation hearing professed, “Here’s the reality: We’re going to look at the science whatever it is, but … policy decisions are made — this president ran and he won on a particular perspective.” The order, effective immediately, is not unlike the EPA’s “Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science” proposed rule, in that it restricts the use of science in important decisions that affects the public and our environment. Read more >

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Photo: Denise Cross Photography/Flickr

The Science of Voting Rights + An Interview with Matt Dunlap

, Kendall Science Fellow

February 22, 2018 10:00 AM EDT

When Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap agreed to serve on President Trump’s “Election Integrity” commission, election scholars, myself included, roundly criticized him for legitimizing a nakedly partisan attempt to indulge the President’s fantasies about why he failed to win the popular vote. Mr. Dunlap’s pursuit of transparency is a crucial example of how a commitment to science-based policy and integrity can protect citizens from government agencies betraying the public interest. In early February, I sat down with Dunlap for an extended interview. We discussed his decision to serve, his experience as a member of the Commission, and the events that led to his lawsuit against the Commission. Read more >

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Photo: Union of Concerned Scientists

Hard-Fought Battle over Added Sugar Labeling at the FDA: Public Health 1, Food Industry 0

, senior analyst and program manager, Center for Science and Democracy

May 20, 2016 1:02 PM EDT

At the Partnership for a Healthier America summit this morning, First Lady Michelle Obama announced the Food and Drug Administration’s newest rule. Two years in the making, the final rule will require, among other changes, inclusion of an ‘Added Sugars’ line separate from the total sugar line and a percent daily value for it on the ubiquitous Nutrition Facts label found on the back of all food packages. Read more >

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